I know clams filter nitrates and synthesize energy from light, but is there a limiting factor in how many clams one can keep in a tank? Do they require a certain minimum nitrate level?
Is There a Limit to the Number of Clams in a Tank?
- Thread starter joeychitwood
- Start date
i dont think there is a minimum NO3 level(besides true total 0) may people keep them in tanks that read 0 on test kits but that dosent mean there tanks are truly 0, it just means there levels are low and what is avalable is being used quickly. i think a bigger factor in trying to keep many clams in one tank would be keeping Ca/Alk high and stable. you can very easly add Nitrates by feeding the fish a lot or adding phyto
Jonviviano
New member
The usual rule of thumb is one mid-size clam (3-7 inches) per 10 gallons of water. The only problem is keeping your calcium levels and alk levels up. Also enough for all the clams to feed.
jmaneyapanda
Commencing hatred
I also think size MUST be considered. Gigas and squamosas will grow quick, and can occupy a smaller tank in short order.
Serioussnaps
New member
only limitation is CA and ALK depletion IMO....
if you cant keep up the CA and ALK you cant have more clams....they are indeed hogs
if you cant keep up the CA and ALK you cant have more clams....they are indeed hogs
jay24k
Active member
I have a 180 gallon tank with about 7 clams. Smallest is 2.5 inches and largest is about a foot. My tank is mostly SPS and when I did 2 part, I went through over a cup of calcium 2 part each day. It was a pita but doable. I'd get an automatic doser or kalk. A tank that small with a reactor might be risky with the ph possibly going low.
critterkeeper
New member
No. You can't pack in all you want without problems. They need nitrogen, phosphorus, and all the other nutrients that every other organism needs. If you pack a bunch in a small tank, you'll have to add nutrients via fish food, phyto, or inorganic chemicals - and adding lots of nutrients to a small tank is a recipe for an algal explosion if you have good lighting. Think about it.
reefkoi
Premium Member
they suck up a lot of calcium I have 11 clams with the biggest being a 18" gigas, I have to add 400ml of each 2-part daily! and that just gives me enough calcium, my Alk is at 8.
As far as nutrients I have a lot of fish and I figure I should have enough temporary nitrate to keep them happy. So get as many as you want, I cant see why not, I dont think there is any proven research out there suggesting you cannot? If so then I'd love to read about it and learn!
Chris
As far as nutrients I have a lot of fish and I figure I should have enough temporary nitrate to keep them happy. So get as many as you want, I cant see why not, I dont think there is any proven research out there suggesting you cannot? If so then I'd love to read about it and learn!
Chris
critterkeeper
New member
"Clams rely on light once over a certain size so I don't see why you would ever need to add nutrients"
This statement shows a fundamental lack of knowledge of basic biology. ALL living things need a constant supply of a wide variety of nutrients. Clams/zooxanthellae can create energy-packed sugars via photosynthesis, but cells need alot more than just sugars to function. Nitrogen, phosphorus, etc. are not created from nothing via photosynthesis - they have to be taken from the external environment via absorbtion and/or by feeding.
FYI - I know of at least two cases of people stocking tanks (with low fish populations) absolutely full of clams - and they didn't make it long-term. Clams can take months to starve, so you can think everything is going well, but they are slowly dying.
This statement shows a fundamental lack of knowledge of basic biology. ALL living things need a constant supply of a wide variety of nutrients. Clams/zooxanthellae can create energy-packed sugars via photosynthesis, but cells need alot more than just sugars to function. Nitrogen, phosphorus, etc. are not created from nothing via photosynthesis - they have to be taken from the external environment via absorbtion and/or by feeding.
FYI - I know of at least two cases of people stocking tanks (with low fish populations) absolutely full of clams - and they didn't make it long-term. Clams can take months to starve, so you can think everything is going well, but they are slowly dying.
jay24k
Active member
He never said he was going fishless. In a closed base system, you are always going to have nutrients. I understand biology just fine but it is a known fact that clams over a certain size do not need additional feeding. They receive most of their energy from the light. Yes the other nutrients in the water from our closed system does indeed help. I'll look for the one guys tank on here that had a slew of clams with no issues when I have more time.
critterkeeper
New member
"In a closed base system, you are always going to have nutrients"
Yeah, and will there be enough for one clam, 10 clams, or 50 clams in a small tank? You don't know. And I do know of long-term failures. It depends on the fish load and how much they're fed AND/OR the use of phyto, etc. Fish eat the food and give off ammonia, then clams suck the ammonia out of the water because it's a good source of nitrogen. Etc.
The posters above are asking about a 54 gal. and a 24 gal. tank = small = low fish population (who said fishless?).
My reply was "If you pack a bunch in a small tank, you'll have to add nutrients via fish food, phyto, or inorganic chemicals - and adding lots of nutrients to a small tank is a recipe for an algal explosion if you have good lighting. "
Yeah, and will there be enough for one clam, 10 clams, or 50 clams in a small tank? You don't know. And I do know of long-term failures. It depends on the fish load and how much they're fed AND/OR the use of phyto, etc. Fish eat the food and give off ammonia, then clams suck the ammonia out of the water because it's a good source of nitrogen. Etc.
The posters above are asking about a 54 gal. and a 24 gal. tank = small = low fish population (who said fishless?).
My reply was "If you pack a bunch in a small tank, you'll have to add nutrients via fish food, phyto, or inorganic chemicals - and adding lots of nutrients to a small tank is a recipe for an algal explosion if you have good lighting. "
This statement shows a fundamental lack of knowledge of basic biology. Nutrients only build up if they are not being consumed.
If you are only adding "lots of nutrients" up to the point that the clams are consuming it then there won't be extra hanging around to feed algae. It is no different than in a larger tank. Certainly a 120 can hold more clams than a 20 gal. If it has proportionately more clams it will need proportionately more food. Excess nutrients will only occur if you feed disproportionately more than the clams need. Like everything else in reefkeeping, smaller tanks leave less room for error than larger tanks, but are not fundamentally different.
Allen
critterkeeper
New member
Well Doc, please tell everyone how you propose to calculate EXACTLY how much of each nutrient to add for a given population of growing organisms?
If you're anywhere under the exact amount, they starve to death over time. If you're over, you accumulate nutrients in the closed system, which typically leads to algal problems (as I stated). Which route would you take?
If you're anywhere under the exact amount, they starve to death over time. If you're over, you accumulate nutrients in the closed system, which typically leads to algal problems (as I stated). Which route would you take?
While you have oversimplified the situation (in any system there is clearly no a single point of nutrient input that will be ok but a range), the same rules will apply whether the tank is big or small. The keys to either are paying attention to your animals, checking nutrient levels and making any changes slowly.
Allen
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